Indonesia gets tough on bird flu, announcing epidemic law
The Indonesian government Friday reactivated the 1984 epidemic law in its latest effort to fight against bird flu, which so far has killed 36 people.
Under the law, those convicted of blocking government’s way to eradicating the disease are punishable by one-year jail term.
Coordinating Minister for People’s Welfare Aburizal Bakrie said the government would reactive the law following Indonesia’s biggest cluster case in North Sumatra, in which seven family members died of bird flu.
There has been no evidence that the fatalities were resulted from human-to-human bird flu virus transmission, he said at a meeting with other related officials at his office here.
The government will establish rapid-response teams in areas considered to be most vulnerable to the bird flu virus, he said, adding that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has agreed to disburse a considerable amount of fund to finance the program.
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